The International Energy Agency Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (IEA PVPS) is starting a new Task 20: Energy Hubs for Green Hydrogen. This joint effort with the IEA Wind and Hydrogen Technology Collaboration Programmes (TCPs) seeks to advance the integration of wind, solar, and hydrogen technologies into hybrid energy systems that produce green hydrogen efficiently and sustainably. Running from 2025 to 2028, Task 20 will address the practical, technical, environmental, and societal challenges associated with hybrid energy hubs, providing actionable insights for their implementation on a global scale.

In a new article for pv magazine, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) explains why the renewable energy industry should finally embrace equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI). “At a micro level, networks like Women in Solar Europe are critical to creating the environments of belonging, psychological safety, and support that individuals need to thrive and contribute to the energy transition,” says Carmen Madrid, founder of the WiSEu Network.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, provides a quick look at the main price trends in the global PV industry.

Hydropower has long been used to stabilize the rid and store energy to compensate for the fluctuations of solar and wind power. Its use of artificial intelligence is helping cope with new demands but making it more sensitive to cyber attacks.

Rapidly increasing energy consumption due to data centers, EVs and AI, requires adopting innovative energy strategies like distributed energy resources and microgrids that offer viable solutions for a more resilient, responsive energy infrastructure.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) has released a technical report exploring innovations and challenges in optimizing the performance of partially shaded PV systems.

The German authorities have selected 119 MW projects totaling 259 MW in the nation’s latest rooftop PV tender. The final prices ranged from €0.0745 ($0.0787)/kWh to €0.0969/kWh.

The United States is expected to grow its solar fleet by more than 25% from 2023 levels, with over 8 GW of distributed solar and more than 40 GW of utility-scale solar expected to be installed.

India’s Ministry of Finance has applied antidumping duties on solar glass imports from China in the range of $673 to $677 per metric ton and for imports from Vietnam at $565 per metric ton.

UK-based battery supplier Echion Technologies has partnered with Australia’s Switch Technologies to demonstrate its ultra-fast charge technology in a Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Series off-road vehicle.

The Chinese manufacturer said its new i-TOPCon Ultra panel is part of the Vertex N family and is intended for applications in utility-scale projects. It plans to begin mass production of the new modules in the second quarter of 2025, with an initial annual capacity of 10 GW.

Scientists have proposed a standalone system that uses freeze desalination and ice for air conditioning. It requires 10,785 square meters of c-Si bifacial PV panels and can operate throughout the day. Energetic efficiency is calculated as 17.8% during the day and 56% at night.

Above Surveying, a U.K.-based services and software company, announced adding large-scale PV condition monitoring to its Solargain digital twin tool as a result of its partnership with Kiwa PI Berlin and 2DegreesKelvin.

Mr. Tham Chee Aun, Group CEO of Ditrolic Energy, talks about the market for solar in Southeast Asia and the company’s collaboration with Huawei on a remarkable project to power a Giant Panda Conservation Centre in Malaysia with sustainable energy.

Behind-the-meter solar for homes, businesses, and communities comes with numerous benefits, said a paper from Stanford engineering professor Mark Jacobson.

An international research team has fabricated organic solar cells using non-toxic solvents. The researchers identified interactions between the acceptor material side chains and the solvent, along with interactions between donor and acceptor materials, as key factors for controlling morphology in organic solar cells.

DAS Solar has unveiled a new, flexible PV mounting system. The company claims the system, now installed over a fishery in China, has already withstood a particularly strong typhoon, demonstrating its reliability.

Scientists have used open-source models to simulate heat pump rollout scenarios for the year 2030. Additional investments of around 54 GW to 57 GW of solar PV capacity in a least-cost solution would allow the installation of 10 million heat pumps by the end of the decade.

Scientists in the United Kingdom have simulated how a 1 GW off-grid agrivoltaic facility may be used to fuel hydrogen fuel electric cell vehicles across Australia, California, China, Nigeria, and Spain. Their techno-economic analysis showed that the proposed combination could provide a levelized cost of hydrogen ranging from $3.90/kg to $8.13/kg.

Panasonic has launched a solar-powered hydrogen fuel cell project at its factory in Cardiff, Wales, with the microwave assembly now operating on renewable energy.

The “US Solar Market Insight Q4 2024” report, published by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie, states that domestic module manufacturing will be able to match the rapid pace of growth in the US solar industry, with cell production also ramping up.

China-based HUEG has launched a new mounting system featuring a patented clamp design. The system, made from Zn-Al-Mg coated steel, supports concrete and pile foundations.

Voltiris has launched its latest greenhouse pilot project, installing its novel wavelength-selective PV system at a vegetable growing farm in Canton Baselland.

The two research institutes used silver nanowire grids as an alternative to indium tin oxide for the cell’s transparent electrodes. They claim this is the first time that a metallic nanostructure offers photonic gain in a solar cell.

Scientists have built in India a 1.8 kW agrivoltaic setup to grow peppers under the PV modules. The proposed project design is described as an agrivoltaic insect net house that could be use for all crops that require rigorous pest management.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has commissioned a 500 kW solar rooftop project in Tuvalu’s capital, Funafuti, along with a 2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

TagEnergy will develop and manage the Cernay-lès-Reims project, which is scheduled for grid connection in late 2025. It will have a storage capacity nearly five times larger than France’s current largest operational battery.

Enphase Energy has released new software to help homeowners install larger solar and battery systems without major electrical panel upgrades. It uses real-time measurements from current transformers to make immediate decisions.

ConnectDER has secured $35 million in Series D funding to support its meter socket adapter (MSA) business, which integrates solar, storage, EV charging and more while avoiding main electrical panel upgrades.

BMW Group says it will switch its Regensburg plant logistics to hydrogen by 2026, replacing electric vehicles with hydrogen-powered forklifts and tugger trains, while Exolum has launched a new business line to offer integrated logistics solutions across the hydrogen value chain